Walter's Blog |
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Reflections on recent events, plus the occasional fact free rant unfiltered by rational argument.
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"If you want to read a blog to get a sense of what is going on in Hong Kong these days or a blog that would tell you what life was like living in colonial Hong Kong, this blog, WALTER'S BLOG, fits the bill." Hong Kong Blog Review
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 "Ultimately, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s departure results from a perfect storm of his own creation." Let’s be clear, the British Royal Family isn’t like your average workplace. You can’t just get “let go” for consistently failing to refill the coffee machine or for using the last of the milk and putting the empty carton back in the fridge (a truly treasonous act). No, their HR department involves centuries of tradition, a sceptre, and probably a disappointed corgi or two.
So, when the King orders the exile of his brother… well, it’s a massive event. It wasn't just a tough week for the man formerly known as Prince; this was a masterclass in how to wreck your reputation, your role, and test a nation's patience using a flamethrower of terrible decisions. Here’s, in layman's terms, why Andy had to pack his teddy bear collection and leave the royal payroll. The Interview That Launched a Thousand Memes Imagine, if you will, a PR team’s worst nightmare. After years of lurking in the shadows of a grim and revolting scandal, your client, a prince no less, decides to appear on national television to clear his name. His approach? To give an interview so perplexingly out-of-touch it could only have been coached by a haunted waxwork of himself. The key takeaways from his now-legendary Newsnight appearance were:
The “No Regrets” Tour” Most of us, when making a mistake, offer a simple, “My bad.” Maybe we buy a pint. Prince Andrew’s approach was different. His only expressed regret was… getting caught. It was the royal equivalent of being sorry your dog ate the homework, not that you didn’t do it in the first place. This lack of contrition, paired with the gravity of the allegations, made him about as popular as a fart in a spacesuit. The “Family Business” Has a Brand to Protect The Firm, as the royals refer to themselves, is essentially the world’s oldest and most prestigious corporation. Their product is dignity, their logo is a crown, and don’t ask too many questions about rebranding. They have never been Germans. Honest. Having senior staff embroiled in a sordid scandal, who then give a car-crash interview that becomes a global laughing stock, is what the business world calls “a bit of a problem.” He wasn't just a liability; he was a walking, talking, non-sweating reputational hazard. The brand was being dragged through the mud, and the only way to stop the bleeding was to perform a ceremonial amputation. In the process, the ex-wife's hanger-on is advised to look after herself, after all, she’s already been awarded a diverse settlement. Fergie seemed constitutionally incapable of understanding the staid, stuffy rules of the House of Windsor. Her transgressions were numerous, and from a media perspective, they were delicious. The Titles Were Weighing Him Down You can’t hold the rank of Colonel of the Grenadier Guards when your main public association is with a scandal that has its own Wikipedia page. It isn’t good for morale. You can’t expect soldiers to salute a man the internet has nicknamed “Randy Andy.” In Conclusion, It Was the Sweat… or Lack Thereof Ultimately, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s departure results from a perfect storm of his own creation. A disastrous interview, a shocking lack of self-awareness, and a refusal to show genuine human remorse made him indefensible. His failure to stand up and provide evidence of what he did, saw, and heard in Epstein's company reveals Andrew Mountbatten Windsor as a hollow man. He had to go because you cannot have a “non-working royal” who works so very, very hard at making everything worse. The Palace, in its own quiet, clipped way, essentially said, “Andrew, love, you’re fired. And for heaven’s sake, don’t do any more interviews.” In the cryptic world of royal communications, the statement from the Palace hints at Andrew’s guilt. “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him. Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.” Now, he’s just a private citizen, free to pursue his passions: avoiding journalists, puzzling over maps of Pizza Express locations, re-arranging his teddy bear collection, and, one assumes, remaining miraculously, medically dry.
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28/10/2025 2 Comments A New Prospective: The Boat People "You feed us, kept order, didn't demand or accept bribes and most importantly, Hong Kong didn't push us back out to sea. And for that, we are profoundly grateful" I approached an evening talk on the Vietnamese Boat People with some trepidation. Dr Carina Hoang and former Marine Police Superintendent Les Bird spoke on "Revisiting Hong Kong's Vietnamese Refugee History." Dr Hoang has compiled an oral history of the boat people, while in his books, Les Bird has documented the Marine Police's role.
My colleagues in the Marine Police rescued many boat people, earning their lasting gratitude. Mr Bird reconnected with several of the individuals he helped rescue and spoke about the new lives they’ve built overseas. I was in a different situation. As a member of the Police Tactical Unit, my duties included fighting riots, conducting weapons searches, and organising extractions for deportation or repatriation flights. I had long believed that none of this essential work made us popular with the boat people. The fact that innocent kids were caught up in the riots and weapon searches left its mark on all of us. Anyone who witnessed the tragic events at Sek Kong camp during the 1991 riots that resulted in 24 refugees dying understands the challenges faced by police officers and Correctional Service Department staff trying to maintain order. My first encounter with the boat people was suppressing a riot at Kai Tak North Camp in 1982, as a young platoon commander. I have detailed this event in an earlier piece. Little did I know this would be the first of many operations that would occupy me for decades. For the record, I was deployed to Tai Ah Chau Island, Sham Shui Po Camp, Erskine Camp, High Island Camp, Whitehead Camp, and Sek Kong. As the boat people saga fluctuated through its various stages, the police, along with the CSD, were constantly involved. My experience is typical, as most operational police officers have been involved in similar roles. Perhaps less typical was sending a team of women officers to Sham Shui Po to buy several hundred pairs of ladies' underwear for refugees who had nothing. I had taken command of Erskine Camp for a short period; it housed families. The refugees lacked many essentials, but the ladies soon had the kitchens operational, while the men worked to make the sparse accommodation as comfortable as possible. As the evening talk progressed, I realised that former boat people formed a significant part of the audience; many had settled in Hong Kong. They took turns sharing remarkable stories. To my surprise, the lady sitting next to me was born in Kai Tak North Camp in 1981 and was present during the riot I dealt with. Naturally, she had no memory of the events. When I said I had been in the camp, she hugged me and sincerely thanked the police for their efforts. This unexpected reaction took me aback, as I was expecting a rebuke for the tear gas we had used in several operations and the hand-to-hand fighting that caused injuries on both sides. I met several CSD officers who had remained close to the Vietnamese they looked after. Through them, I was introduced to older Vietnamese individuals who stepped forward to shake my hand and also thank me. I had to ask, "I was expecting some kickback." The response I received can be best summed up as, "You feed us, kept order, didn't demand or accept bribes and most importantly, Hong Kong didn't push us back out to sea. And for that, we are profoundly grateful" I left the event with a lump in my throat and a new perspective. Dr Carina Hoang, herself a boat person who fled in a small boat at 16 and made her way to Indonesia, repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Hong Kong. She recognises that the challenge of managing hundreds of new arrivals daily — feeding and housing them — places a significant burden on our society, a burden that we should all acknowledge. Furthermore, at the same time, Hong Kong returned illegal immigrants to China daily, including the relatives of Hong Kong citizens. This difference in treatment became a sore point with the local community. Additionally, the fact that the UN promised to cover Hong Kong's costs for housing the Vietnamese boat people but never did remains an issue. Various estimates suggest the cost to Hong Kong ranges from HK$1.16 billion to HK$8.71 billion. While the UN made a few token payments, these stopped, and in 2003, the UN requested that Hong Kong waive the debt. According to an audit report dated 12 September 2025, the Hong Kong government continues to pursue an amount of HK$1.16 billion. On a more positive note, Dr Hoang and Mr Bird collaborated with artist Eric Okdehto to create a mural depicting the history of displaced people's movements through Hong Kong. The mural is accessible to the public at F Hall, Tai Kwun. 19/10/2025 0 Comments Andrew Windsor Slinks Away (Maybe) "...if Andrew believes that relinquishing his titles will help de-escalate the situation, he is mistaken." In a right royal fudge, Andrew Windsor — the man who paid £12M for sex he claims he never had — has agreed to stop using his titles. Well, except for the honourific 'Prince'. This move looks like a half-measure borne of fraught negotiations at the palace, in an attempt to get ahead of the Andrew/Epstein story.
None of Andrew's many titles is officially revoked because that would require an act of Parliament. And, of course, he can keep the title 'Prince' as the son of Queen Elizabeth II. Likewise, constitutionally, nothing has changed. He remains in the line of succession, albeit low down. Andrew, being as thick-skinned as ever, was likely resisting any moves against him, while it appears that Prince William, the heir to the throne, took a firm stance and orchestrated matters. The question remains: is it enough to appease public opinion, and has Prince William's attempt to future-proof the monarchy been effective? I’m afraid not. The media is generating a lot of coverage around the latest developments in the Andrew/Epstein story, which is now engulfing Fergie, the unfortunate ex-wife and live-in partner of Andrew. Through a drip-drip feed of emails and other evidence, it is clear that Andrew and Fergie have lied repeatedly about the nature and details of their relationship with the convicted sex trafficker Epstein. The UK's Mail on Sunday reports that Epstein bankrolled Fergie's lifestyle for 15 years, and she was so close to him that she took her daughters to celebrate his release from prison in the US. Take a moment to reflect on that. Here is a man convicted of trafficking young women, and Fergie thinks it's appropriate to take her daughters to his release party. This woman is clearly lacking any modicum of sense. And if Andrew believes that relinquishing his titles will help de-escalate the situation, he is mistaken. The story is already heading in another direction that could cause more harm. It is now alleged that he sought the assistance of the London Metropolitan Police in 2011 to investigate his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, by providing officers with her date of birth and social security number. He apparently sought dirt to use against her. The Metropolitan Police has started an investigation into the claims. This allegation is a double blow for the police because they failed to investigate the sexual trafficking of women to the UK by Epstein. And that includes claims that Andrew had sex with trafficked women in London properties belonging to Epstein's girlfriend, the imprisoned Ghislaine Maxwell. And to spice things up a little more, there are suggestions that Andrew encouraged online commentators to attack Giuffre and discredit her claims. If true, these claims could have legal implications for Andrew. Giuffre committed suicide in April this year. Her posthumous memoir, out this week, will add to Andrew's woes. We can also expect more email leaks, while the appearance of a second accuser will complicate matters for Andrew and the House of Windsor. If the House of Windsor truly sought to stop the endless cycle of media coverage, they would remove Andrew from the line of succession, reveal how the civil settlement with Giuffre was funded, and be transparent about what public resources he used to fight the allegations against him. Likewise, Andrew Windsor and his partner would be wise to stay out of the spotlight. Until then, expect more media coverage as the credibility of the House of Windsor continues to decline, thanks to this awful man and his clueless partner. 12/10/2025 1 Comment A Death In Hong Kong "Collett's narrative unveils the manipulations of a colonial government more focused on maintaining appearances than seeking the truth." When asked to recommend books that shed light on Hong Kong's colonial period, I always mention 'A Death in Hong Kong' by Nigel Collett. Below is my review of the book from January 2023.
The MacLennan case, a significant event in the history of Expat Hong Kong, revealed a darker side of the colonial era. The death of the colonial police inspector in 1980 has consistently attracted significant attention, sparking discussions and speculations that have persisted for decades. This case, with its complex web of conspiracy theories and amateur sleuths, serves as a microcosm of the colonial era's underbelly, shedding light on the power dynamics and the struggle for truth and justice. I cannot remember how many times people have told me, 'It is impossible to shoot yourself five times with a gun.' Then follows a futile attempt to dispute the facts of MacLennan's suicide. In fairness, it is difficult for the layman accustomed to Hollywood shootouts, when a single bullet sends a body flying, to comprehend the truth. 'A Death in Hong Kong' is probably the definitive account unless new evidence emerges. Nigel Collett, the author, has conducted meticulous research, a testament to his dedication and thoroughness. He has combined these details with a clear explanation of the timeline. His account is forensic and generally balanced, as Collett aims to provide an honest telling of events. He describes the key players, sets the scene, and discusses their motivations. Additionally, he includes significant details, some of which are new to me. As a young inspector, I read Justice TK Yang's 1981 inquiry report on the case. After the public outcry, the Governor Sir Murray MacLehose was forced to order an inquiry. The attached death report served as a template for all of us struggling to master the art of an investigation. Yang's report left me with a sense of sadness. Collett's book deepens that feeling. Collett's narrative unveils the manipulations of a colonial government more focused on maintaining appearances than seeking the truth. No one emerges unscathed from this story. Even passionate campaigner Elsie Elliott (later Tu), who sought to expose the truth, was not above making misleading statements. However, she is the least responsible in this unfortunate tale. The same cannot be said of government officials, including Sir Murray MacLehose, whose actions and alleged meddling in the case expose the falsehood of 'British' justice. This story spans 'from the gutter to Government House'. As the Inquiry drew closer to the Governor, having 'misfired' and run out of official control, Collett concludes that the colonial regime reacted. Ultimately, Governor MacLehose fought to rein in TL Yang and the outspoken counsel John Beveridge. No doubt, if the post-1997 administration attempted a similar move, London would be yelling about the 'rule of law'. This book reminds us that colonial governments wielded power with ruthless tendencies. MacLennan was a small fry, while allegations against more senior figures went uninvestigated. The evidence points to colonial officials, including legal officers, being involved in paedophile activities. These individuals walked free. As we have since learnt from such cases in the UK, you cannot take official denials at face value. During my service, I observed senior personnel ignoring or justifying their infractions to avoid causing an 'unwanted scene.'. Meanwhile, infractions by junior officers led to the destruction of their careers, as the entire weight of the disciplinary system fell upon them. The response to indebtedness exemplifies this point. In one instance, a senior official was allegedly given an overseas posting to earn an allowance and thereby clear his debts. The lower ranks received no such consideration. I've spent many evenings debating the MacLennan case, including with people mentioned in the book. Yet, I never knew that he had a wealthy lady friend who provided him with a car. Furthermore, it's now clear he was bisexual. This detail changes the way the story unfolds. The story told to the public was that a rogue police unit was independently pursuing MacLennan, and under that pressure, he took his life. However, Collett's thorough investigation and analysis in 'A Death in Hong Kong' dispel this myth. He shows that the SIU remained under strict control of senior legal officials, which dispels the myth that MacLennan was chased in a vendetta by a reckless police force. And, admittedly, while some investigators held anti-gay views, this is incidental to what unfolded. We know that briefings went up the chain of command and that instructions came down. MacLennan was targeted, not by the police but by the colonial administration. Meanwhile, Collett suggests that MacLehose, alarmed at claims of paedophilia within his inner circle, wished to shut down the inquiries. If true, this blatant exercise of power undermines his achievements. My only minor quibbles with the book do not undermine the main narrative. For example, I do not believe the suggestion that officers turned to corruption due to a lack of funding. The example of purchasing typewriters is mentioned. The scale and organisation of corruption suggest that greed was probably the real motive. The book mentions hapless reporter Ian Whitely attempting to prove it is possible to access MacLennan's flat through a bathroom window. He was seeking to establish how an assassin could gain access. I remember watching that attempt on TV, which was unsuccessful. Whitely nearly fell down the building's light-well. Then again, he had a history of such stunts, including testing security at Government House. On one occasion, he climbed the perimeter wall but injured himself on a spike. The book is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand a tragic chapter in Hong Kong's history. Collett insists that the simple idea of murder as a cover-up is complete nonsense. However, you will still hear that scenario mentioned today. The truth is more complex and fascinating, but just as disheartening. January 2023 8/10/2025 0 Comments Typhoon City "What we are seeing are typhoons with greater intensities, slower movement, and more prolonged impacts." Are we experiencing more typhoons than usual, and are they more powerful? It certainly seems like it. And is climate change a factor, or is something more nuanced going on?
Hong Kong has seen the highest number of typhoons in a year since records began in 1917, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. By mid-September 2025, Hong Kong had already raised typhoon warning signals 12 times, a figure that could increase. Of course, not all these typhoons made a direct hit; in fact, far from it. Typically, we’d see 10 typhoons each year, although only one or two would warrant the highest signals. The Hong Kong typhoon season normally begins in May and lasts until November. Although it might seem like there are more typhoons in Hong Kong recently, it’s not that the overall number has increased; instead, a combination of factors makes their effects feel more severe. What we are currently experiencing are typhoons with greater intensities, slower movement, and more prolonged impacts. In addition, the impact of larger storm surges brought about by warmer ocean temperatures increases unpredictability, requiring forecasters to work harder. Furthermore, a government that is more attentive to the potential effects of the typhoon has emerged. Consequently, there is an increase in publicity and precautionary messages, raising awareness of the dangers. This improved stance by the government is welcome, especially considering the swift recovery efforts and well-coordinated responses we have observed. The truth is, Hong Kong lies in 'Typhoon Alley.' We border the South China Sea, a warm body of water; typhoons are driven by warm ocean water above 26.5°C or 80°f. The Northwest Pacific Basin, located south-west of us, is the world's most active tropical cyclone basin, producing about one-third of all such storms. Hong Kong is directly in the usual path of many storms that form in this basin, especially those heading west or northwest towards the Asian mainland. Although the total number of typhoons hitting Hong Kong may not have risen significantly, we are noticing increased intensities. The science behind typhoons is well understood: warmer sea surface temperatures provide more energy for these storms. This leads to storms that form having a greater potential to become stronger and undergo rapid intensification more often. A stronger typhoon, even if it does not make a direct hit, can cause substantially more damage. Furthermore, a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture. This causes typhoons to bring significantly more rainfall, heightening the risk of severe flooding and landslides in Hong Kong's steep terrain. Meanwhile, modelling of typhoon tracks suggests that climate change may be causing slight shifts in their paths, potentially increasing landfalls in Southern China, including the Pearl River Delta, where Hong Kong is located. Nevertheless, attributing all the blame to climate change might be mistaken. We could be observing a shift within a much longer cycle of typhoon behaviour. Typhoon activity follows a multi-decade pattern influenced by natural climate variations, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). From the 1990s to the early 2010s, Hong Kong saw a relative period of fewer direct hits from very intense typhoons. Since around 2017, the region has entered a more active phase. This is part of a natural cycle, but scientists suggest it's now amplified by climate change, making the storms during this active period even more powerful. This contrast gives the impression that many typhoons are occurring now, compared to the quieter times many residents remember. Furthermore, increased urbanisation and land reclamation have heightened our vulnerability. Hong Kong’s unique cityscape, with its forest of skyscrapers, is more susceptible to high winds funnelled between buildings. For public safety, the government adopts a cautious approach by closing the city earlier. As a result, each typhoon becomes a major economic and logistical event, attracting extensive international media coverage. In the future, as I mentioned in another blog, the government will need to strengthen measures to reduce the impact of tidal surges. Similarly, building regulations and zoning laws for construction will need updating. To sum up: Hong Kong isn't necessarily experiencing more frequent typhoons. However, it is encountering more intense and destructive storms because of its location, a return to an active natural cycle, and the potential amplifying effects of climate change. |
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November 2025
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